Table 1.
Strobilation response for discomedusan and cubozoan polyps in the presence of either indomethacin or 5-methoxy-2-methylindole.
Fig 1.
Chemical structures of indomethacin and 5-methoxy-2-methylindole, showing the conserved indole region in red.
Fig 2.
Polyps of Discomedusae and Cubozoa produce medusae (red circles) in the presence of some or all indoles, but polyps of the Coronatae or Hydrozoa do not (grey circles).
Pink circles indicate a partial metamorphosis response. White space indicates that the experiment was not performed. The relationships between Hydrozoa, Cubozoa, and Scyphozoa is based on [23]. The topology is Scyphozoa is based on [24], except for the Chrysaora clade, which is based on [25].
Fig 3.
Indomethacin-induced strobilation in five species.
All animals are oriented oral end facing up. Panels A-E are control polyps, panels F-J are animals exposed to indoles. A) Aurelia aurita polyp from southern Japan, and F) the same species showing classic polydisc strobilation, with each segment being a small immature ephyra. B) Mastigias papua polyp, and G) with classic monodisc strobilation, where the calyx slowly transforming into an ephyra. Note that the tissue below the calyx is not metamorphosing back into a polyp, which is typical of continuous exposure to indoles. C) Cotylorhiza tuberculata polyp, H) with monodisc strobilation, showing a constriction at the base of the calyx. D) a polyp of Linuche sp., showing classic coronate morphology in a chitinous tube, and I) in the presence of an indole, with a i) sealed operculum, and ii) retracted polyp. E) a polyp of the box jelly Carybdea sp., and J) the same species after metamorphosis into a small medusa, complete with a fragment of polyp tissue (at the apex of the bell). Scale bars = 1 mm.